Upper body structure for vehicle body

Abstract

An embodiment upper body structure for a vehicle body includes a front body configured to be mounted on a front portion of an under body of the vehicle body, the front body including front side sills respectively disposed at two opposite sides thereof based on a vehicle width direction and center pillars respectively coupled to the front side sills, each of the center pillars including a quadrangular closed cross-section defined by coupling a center pillar outer member and a center pillar inner member and an outer flange portion extending in a forward/rearward direction of the vehicle body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An upper body structure for a vehicle body, the upper body structure comprising:
 a front body configured to be mounted on a front portion of an under body of the vehicle body, the front body comprising:
 front side sills respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the front body based on a vehicle width direction; and 
 center pillars respectively coupled to the front side sills, each of the center pillars comprising:
 a quadrangular closed cross-section defined by coupling a center pillar outer member and a center pillar inner member; and 
 an outer flange portion extending in a forward/rearward direction of the vehicle body, wherein the outer flange portion is connected to an outer surface of the center pillar outer member. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The upper body structure of  claim 1 , wherein the outer flange portion is at an outermost side of the center pillar based on the vehicle width direction. 
     
     
         3 . The upper body structure of  claim 1 , further comprising a rear outer panel coupled to the outer flange portions of the center pillars. 
     
     
         4 . The upper body structure of  claim 3 , wherein the rear outer panel comprises a first joining flange portion extending rearward from an edge portion of the rear outer panel and coupled to the outer flange portion in the vehicle width direction. 
     
     
         5 . The upper body structure of  claim 4 , wherein the front body further comprises center bulkheads respectively joined to rear open ends of the front side sills. 
     
     
         6 . The upper body structure of  claim 5 , wherein the center bulkheads each comprise a second joining flange portion extending rearward from an edge portion of each of the center bulkheads and coupled to an inner surface of a side sill outer member of the front side sills and an inner surface of a side sill inner member of the front side sills. 
     
     
         7 . The upper body structure of  claim 6 , wherein the first joining flange portion and the second joining flange portion are disposed with an upper portion of a rear end of the side sill inner member interposed therebetween and have the same cross-sections coupled to the upper portion of the rear end of the side sill inner member in an upward/downward direction. 
     
     
         8 . The upper body structure of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the front body further comprises a front roof rail coupled to upper ends of the center pillars and a front center floor panel coupled to the front side sills; and   the rear outer panel is coupled to the front roof rail and the front center floor panel in an upward/downward direction by the first joining flange portion.   
     
     
         9 . An upper body structure for a vehicle body, the upper body structure comprising:
 a front body configured to be mounted on a front portion of an under body of the vehicle body, the front body comprising:
 front side sills respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the front body thereof based on a vehicle width direction; and 
 center pillars respectively coupled to the front side sills, each of the center pillars comprising:
 a quadrangular closed cross-section defined by coupling a center pillar outer member and a center pillar inner member; and 
 an outer flange portion extending in a forward/rearward direction of the vehicle body; and 
 
 a rear body configured to be mounted on a rear portion of the under body, the rear body being coupled to the front body by the outer flange portions of the center pillars. 
   
     
     
         10 . The upper body structure of  claim 9 , wherein the rear body comprises:
 rear side sills respectively disposed at two opposite sides based on the vehicle width direction;   rear pillars respectively coupled to the rear side sills;   a rear quarter assembly disposed rearward of the rear pillars and coupled to the rear pillars;   rear side outer panels coupled to the rear pillars and the rear quarter assembly;   a rear roof rail coupled to upper ends of the rear pillars;   a rear roof panel coupled to the rear roof rail; and   a rear center floor panel coupled to the rear side sills.   
     
     
         11 . The upper body structure of  claim 10 , wherein the front body comprises:
 a front roof rail coupled to upper ends of the center pillars;   a front roof panel coupled to the front roof rail; and   a front center floor panel coupled to the front side sills.   
     
     
         12 . The upper body structure of  claim 11 , wherein the rear roof panel is coupled to the front roof panel in an upward/downward direction. 
     
     
         13 . The upper body structure of  claim 11 , wherein the rear side outer panels are coupled to the outer flange portions of the center pillars in the vehicle width direction. 
     
     
         14 . The upper body structure of  claim 11 , wherein the rear center floor panel is joined to the front center floor panel in an upward/downward direction. 
     
     
         15 . A vehicle body comprising:
 an under body;   a front body mounted on a front portion of the under body, the front body comprising:
 front side sills respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the front body based on a vehicle width direction; and 
 center pillars respectively coupled to the front side sills, each of the center pillars comprising:
 a quadrangular closed cross-section defined by coupling a center pillar outer member and a center pillar inner member; and 
 an outer flange portion extending in a forward/rearward direction of the vehicle body; 
 
 a front roof rail coupled to upper ends of the center pillars; and 
 a front center floor panel coupled to the front side sills; and 
   a rear body mounted on a rear portion of the under body and coupled to the front body by the outer flange portions of the center pillars.   
     
     
         16 . The vehicle body of  claim 15 , wherein the outer flange portion is connected to an outer surface of the center pillar outer member and at an outermost side of the center pillar based on the vehicle width direction. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle body of  claim 15 , wherein the rear body comprises:
 rear side sills respectively disposed at two opposite sides based on the vehicle width direction;   rear pillars respectively coupled to the rear side sills;   a rear quarter assembly disposed rearward of the rear pillars and coupled to the rear pillars;   rear side outer panels coupled to the rear pillars and the rear quarter assembly;   a rear roof rail coupled to upper ends of the rear pillars;   a rear roof panel coupled to the rear roof rail; and   a rear center floor panel coupled to the rear side sills.   
     
     
         18 . The vehicle body of  claim 17 , wherein the front body comprises a front roof panel coupled to the front roof rail, and wherein the rear roof panel is coupled to the front roof panel in an upward/downward direction. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle body of  claim 17 , wherein the rear side outer panels are coupled to the outer flange portions of the center pillars in the vehicle width direction. 
     
     
         20 . The vehicle body of  claim 17 , wherein the rear center floor panel is joined to the front center floor panel in an upward/downward direction.